Spring-gear for locomotives



(No Model.) J. T. HEPPERNAN.

SPRING GEAR FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

No. 412.256. 7:172. Patented Oct. 8, 1889.

HO HO u FHCRS. Phalo-hihographcn WMhingwn. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFEicE.

JOHN T. HEFFERNAN, OF DUNKIRK, NEW YORK.

SPRING-GEAR FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,256, dated October 8, 1889.

Serial No. 315 ,741. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN T. HEFFERNAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dunkirk, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Spring-Gear for Locomotives, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to a spring-gear especially adapted for locomotives, and among the objects in View are to wholly suspend the locomotive proper upon a yielding springgear so arranged as to relieve the machinery of the excessive strain, thereby in creasing the life and efficiency of the locomotive, said yielding motion being in a vertical line and obviating, so far as possible, the usual undesirable swaying of the cab and consequent stress upon the many parts.

The invention consists in certain features of construction hereinafter specified and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a locomotive suspended in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a rear view. Fig. 3 is a front view.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 represents a locomotive boiler, 2 the wheels, 3 the journals thereof, and 4 the usual connecting-frame, the elements specified constituting the trucks.

From the usual longitudinal side bar 5, coinposing the framework of the truck, and intermediate the two wheels 2, there projects downwardly a yoke 65, in the lower end of which I mount a semi-elliptical bow-spring 7. From each of the journals 3 there projects upwardly standard 8, having yokes 9 at their upper ends, in each of which I mount an upwardly-disposed semi-elliptic bow-spring 10, of a type similar to the spring 7, but inverted when considered in relation to the spring 7. The ends of the spring 7 and the inner ends of the two springs 10 slightly pass each other, and are connected by loose suspension-links 1]., depending from the inner ends of the springs 10 and taking under the ends of the spring 7. The connection may be formed in any suitable manner, so that the same be pivotal, and to accomplish this purpose I herein simply employ cross-pins 12, which take under and over the ends of their respective lower and upper springs. At the outer ends of the springs 10 are provided similar suspension-links 13, the lower ends of which embrace the lower longitudinal bar 14 of the frame or truck 4, and interposed between the ends of the links 13 and the bar l t, at outer ends of the truck, is a transverse semi-elliptical spring 15, the center of which is connected by a yoke 16 to the transverse bar 17, formed in the truck-frame.

The mechanism described is duplicated at each side of each truck.

I have herein shown my invention as ap plied to locomotives, and have also described the springs as being connected to certain character of frames or trucks; but I would herein state that I do not limit my invention either to a locomotive or to suspending the same from the bars described, as other forms of trucks requiring minor changes in this regard may be used in connection with my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A spring=gear comprising a continuous series of alternately disposed and arranged semi-elliptic bow-sprin gs connected bypivotal couplings, substantially as specified.

2. A spring-gear consisting of a continuous series of alternately-arranged semi-elliptic bow-springs, each alternate spring being arranged out of a plane with the adjacent springs, and pivotal links connecting said springs, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with a locomotive and its trucks, of standards mounted upon the journals of the trucks and projecting upwardly and provided with yokes, semi-elliptic bow-springs mounted in the yokes, a similar spring mounted intermediate the standards and disposed in an opposite direction, and links pivotally' connecting the end of the springs, substantially as specified.

i. The trucks 4, having the bars 5, 14, and 1'7, in combination with the journals 3, having the yokes 8 and 6, the former having the standards 8, the springs 10, mounted in the yokes 9, and the spring 7, mounted in the yoke 6, depending from the bar 5,the links 1l,having the pins 12, connecting the outer ends of the springs 7 with the inner ends of the springs 10, and the links 13, connecting the outer ends of the springs 10 with the end springs 15, mounted in the yoke 16, depending from the bar 17, said spring 15 connecting the series at one side to the series at the opposite side, substantially as specified.

5. A continuous spring-gear consisting of a continuous series of oppositely disposed springs arranged along the sides and ends of the truck of a locomotive or the like, all the springs being connected together by pivotal couplings, as set forth.

6. A continuous spring-gear for locomotives or the like, consisting of a series of springs connected together by pivotal couplings, as set forth. i p 7. A continuous spring-gear consisting of a series of oppositely-disposed springs arranged in different horizontal and vertical planes, the

JOHN T. HEFFERNAN.

Vitnesses:

T. W. MCCARTHY, JOHN RYAN. 

